A good neighbour is worth more than a far friend They are quite literally neighbours here in the Zuidas: the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and law firm De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek (De Brauw). And Karina van den Berg, Chief Administrative Officer at RBS, and Barbara van Duren-Kloppert, partner in labour law at De Brauw, say that’s exactly how they see each other. Smart moves It wasn’t a huge surprise when RBS moved into the white tower on the corner of the Zuidas in 2011.
on Parnassusweg to plead a case together.
RBS had to leave its temporary offices in the
The cooperation is excellent and the closeness
nearby ABN AMRO building, and the move gave
of their respective offices invites short lines and
its 650 staff a chance to make a fresh start in the
fast responses. After all, if they need to address
new building, the light and transparent UN Studio.
any urgent issues, their neighbour is a just a
RBS’ other 1300 employees in the Netherlands are
short walk away. Both firms see this as a major
based in Amsterdam-Zuidoost and Rotterdam and
advantage and something that helps create a
may have been at least a little jealous when they
great working relationship.
Left Barbara van Duren-Kloppert • Right: Karina van den Berg
saw how happy their colleagues were at the Zuidas. Just as happy as the more than 600
RBS sees its cooperation with de Brauw as a
De Brauw staff who moved into The Rock in
chance to outsource non-core business, the kind
clients: they are more often than not companies
environment that will continue to develop in
September 2009. De Brauw’s move brought
of business that RBS cannot do efficiently within
operating in the Netherlands and abroad, multina-
the future. It’s the latter point that Karina van de
together employees originally based in The Hague,
its own organisation, given its modest scale in
tionals and their subsidiaries right across the
Berg and Barbara van Duren see as perhaps the
Rotterdam and the Tripolis building in Amsterdam,
the Netherlands. In certain legal areas, RBS simply
globe. Hardly surprising, given the international
area’s biggest challenge: the Zuidas is already an
putting all the law firm’s Dutch practices in a
hands cases over to De Brauw and they are
environment in which RBS and De Brauw operate,
increasingly lively office environment, but still has
single building. In the Netherlands, De Brauw
handled from start to finish at The Rock.
from London to Amsterdam and from Beijing to
a little ‘growing up’ to do. The area has some very
Singapore (where De Brauw will also be opening
good restaurants and bars, but everyone would
an office this autumn).
benefit from an increased range of facilities in
now works solely from The Rock, a striking office building with an open atmosphere that invites
International operations
cooperation and communication – one of the goals
What’s most important to De Brauw is that with
to the completion of De Boog, the project for the
that, like de Brauw itself, operates internationally
Short lines, fast responses
and in several legal regimes. So their legal advice
RBS and De Brauw are convinced that moving
(green) development is in the pipeline.
As neighbours, RBS and De Brauw feel closely
does not focus solely on RBS as a ‘neighbour’ in the
into their new offices in the Zuidas has sent a
connected to each other. After all, they work
Zuidas area; it goes right across several borders.
clear signal to their clients, for whom the image
Karina and Barbara, and their colleagues, find the
together in numerous areas of the law. It’s not
RBS and de Brauw also serve a similar range of
of quality and service is vital. And for their
Zuidas a very pleasant place, as both residents and
rare to see a lawyer from De Brauw and a
employees, working at the Zuidas offers
employees, and are confident the area has a very
representative from RBS having a cup of coffee
numerous advantages: state-of-the-art office
bright future.
at Oliver’s before heading off to the courts
buildings, excellent accessibility and an office
set for the construction and design of The Rock.
30.
other areas. So they are very much looking forward
The Zuidas has a little growing up to do
RBS as a client, they are serving a global player
Text: Barbara van Duren-Kloppert (Lawyer @ De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek N.V.) & Karina van den Berg (CAO - Business manager RBS Netherlands)
Photography: William Maanders
zone between RBS and De Brauw, where a further
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